News

2014-03-11

AMERICA/HONDURAS - Criminal gangs train children to handle firearms

Tegucigalpa (Agenzia Fides) - Honduras is experiencing a wave of violence that last year registered an average of 19 deaths per day. These figures were released by the Observatory on Violence of the National Autonomous University, although the Secretary for Security declared 17 at the end of 2013, and argues that in 2014 the figure has dropped to 14. The scourge of violence is fueled by criminal gangs that operate in the Country. In particular,there is one known as "Los Espinoza" in the center of Honduras, which is training children with AK-47 rifles. The band has been denounced by the inhabitants of the area of San Luis and other neighboring communities, where several people have been killed and other crimes such as kidnapping, robbery and expropriation of assets such as coffee plantations and houses have been committed. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 11/03/2014)